Total Gets Nigeria Reading Again

Total’s resolve to create a good citizenry for the nation through encouraging improved standard of education in Nigerian youths took a new turn last week with its organization of “Get Nigeria Reading Again”.

The programme, which was a book reading event organised in partnership with Rainbow Book Club, is in line with the quest to improve the reading habit of students in Rivers State and its environs.

Stressing the importance of reading to the country, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Odein Ajumogobia, who doubled as the guest of honour and reader, told The Tide in an interview, that reading was of paramount importance to the country, and admonished everyone to take interest in reading.

According, to him, “we learn so much from reading”, adding that knowledge, they say, is power. He stressed that “it is the knowledge that comes from reading that is power”, as he pointed out, “reading gives one self confidence.”

He added, “we are 150 million people, and we do not read; we should. It is good for us as children and as adults. Even we, adults, should go back to the book”.

Earlier, Total’s Deputy Managing Director, Port Harcourt City District, Mr Dennis Berthelot, while stressing the importance of education for the development of society, disclosed that the company, in line with its policy of sustainable development of education and youths, has constructed many modern classroom blocks in schools in its host communities.

Berthelot stated that other projects include, the lecture theatre at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom, the Institute of Petroleum Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, and has also organized the catch-them-young programme, among others.

Books worth millions of naira were donated by Total to secondary schools in the state through the Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi.

The guest writers at the occasion were Gabriel Okara, Elechi Amadi and Bina Nengi-Illagha.

The Tide gathered that the Rainbow Book Club, founded in 2005 by Koko Kalango, is a reactionary campaign against the decline in the reading culture in Nigeria.

Its aim is to sensitise the Nigerian public on the importance of reading to personal and national development.

Vivian-Peace Nwinaene